At least two Woodland schools — one separate times — have been vandalized since early Saturday, police reported Tuesday.
Woodland Police Lt. Anthony Cucchi reported that the first in a series of three incidents occurred around 3:40 a.m., Saturday when police were sent to Whitehead Elementary School, 624 W. Southwood Drive, after an audible alarm was activated.
“Upon arrival, officers met a school district facilities representative who arrived first,” Cucchi stated. “As officers checked the school, they discovered that an unknown suspect used a rock to break a window next to a classroom door. The suspect gained entrance through the door and ransacked the classroom. The suspect knocked over several desks and damaged an unknown number of computers.”
The second incident occurred around 2:29 a.m., Monday when police were sent to Lee Middle School on West Street for a reported burglary and vandalism. In that case, the windows to the boys” and girls” physical education offices were broken out, the offices were ransacked and items such as computers were vandalized.
Cucchi reported school administrators estimated the damage in excess of $2,000.
Vandals caused so much damage that physical education classes were canceled for all 675 students, according to KCRA Channel 3.
“They were upset like we are, because it”s affecting our kids an that”s the most important thing,” Seth Tosta, the school”s vice principal, told the TV station.
Cucchi also reported that video surveillance footage showed there were three suspects involved. The suspects were described as a female and two males wearing dark clothing and covering their faces.
Finally, on Monday night around 10:47, police again responded to Whitehead Elementary for an alarm activation.
Once again, officers met with the school district representative, and after checking the campus, officers determined unknown suspect entered the classroom area through the same door that had been entered last Friday — after removing plywood that was used to cover the previously shattered window. The suspects broke an additional three windows and again knocked over several desks and computers. The damage to the windows exceeded $1,000 and it is unknown what damage was caused to the computers.
These cases are still under investigation.
